The present invention relates generally to fluoroscopy and more particularly to virtual coronary mapping in fluoroscopy.
Coronary angioplasty is a medical procedure used to restore blood flow through clogged coronary arteries. During a coronary angioplasty procedure, a catheter containing a guidewire is inserted through an artery in the thigh and guided by a cardiologist until it reaches a blocked coronary artery. The catheter is stopped before a stenosis while the thin guidewire is guided through the stenosis. Then, a catheter with a deflated balloon is inserted along the guidewire and guided so that the balloon reaches the blockage. At that point, the balloon is inflated and deflated several times to unblock the artery and a stent is placed at that position to keep the artery from blocking again.
The procedure is monitored using real-time fluoroscopic images. A contrast agent is inserted into the patient periodically to aid in visualization of the navigation of the catheter, guidewire, balloon, and stent in the coronary tree. Generally, contrast agents have numerous safety concerns, including increasing the absorbed radiation rate in the tissue.
Therefore, methods and apparatus are required to reduce the quantity of contrast agent used during coronary angioplasties.